Feelings
by Pokeshipper 4 Lyf
Summary: Ash has finally made his way towards the Championships. Can he win? Better than it sounds and it's Pokeshipping.


Author's Note: Ok guys. I'll change their ages just to have them 'fit' in the story.

Ash: 19

Misty: 19 1/2

Brock: 25

Lucy: 26

Jessie and James: 28

Drew and May: 17

Max:13

Dawn and Kenny: 16

Tracey: 24

Gary: 19

Daisy: 24

Prof. Oak: Early 50s

Delia: Early 40s

* * *

"And the winner once again, advancing into the Kanto League Grand Finals, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" Said the commentator as cheers and screams were heard from the stands. All of which says that 'We support you Ash'. Even Ash's friends covered their ears because of the loud screams.

After waving a bit to the audience, Ash exited the field and headed back to his locker. In there, he threw his 5 Pokeballs and released his Pokemon. The Pokemon that materialized were Staraptor, Kingler, Sceptile, Charizard, Heracross, and of course, Pikachu who was still in Ash's shoulder.

"Hey guys, get ready for the finals tomorrow okay? And also, I need you guys to rest and be in tip-top shape, got it?" Ash asked in which his Pokemon agreed to.

Ash was now standing tall as he wiped the sweat forming on his face. At this very moment, the 19 year old male was catching his breath.

"Is that really necessary?" Said a young man holding a sketchbook as he opened the door leading towards the locker room..

"Hey Tracey. Where're the others?" Ash asked as he waved towards the sketcher identified as Tracey.

"Right here behind him." Said another boy having green hair which we know, is the runner-up in the Hoenn Grand Festival, Drew.

Ash looked at them and saw that the 'gang' was complete. Misty, Brock, Lucy, Drew, May, Max, Dawn, Kenny, Tracey, Daisy, Prof. Oak, Gary, Jessie, James, Meowth, his mother Delia, and of course Ash himself.

"Hey guys!" Ash said to all as he raised one hand to signify a greeting.

"Tomorrow's the finals, feeling nervous?" Asked the squinty-eyed friend of theirs properly known as Brock.

"Yeah, kinda." Ash said.

"Well how come?" Misty asked. "You only used 2 Pokemon in the semi-finals. What makes you nervous after conquering the Johto League, Hoenn League, and Sinnoh League?"

"Yeah," Ash said, "But this time it's different. I'm battling in League of my home region. What if I lose? I'll be the laughing stock of the entire Pokemon Universe." Ash said as he also creates movements that matches up with the words he said.

Everyone sweatdropped at Ash's so called wierd movements.

Delia decided to lighten up the mood of the gang so she made a suggestion, "Hm. How about we head back towards our suite and let's have lunch? That's if, if you guys want to."

Ash quickly recalled all of his Pokemon and quickly dashed towards the door and opened it, "Well what are we waiting for?" Ash asked as he opened the door and exited.

"O--kay. That was fast." Delia said with a sweatdrop.

Since their suite, that belongs to Prof. Oak himself, was near the Battle Stadium, they arrived at their suite fast. Surprisingly, their suite seemed to be isolated from other hotels and such. The only building that was near them was the Battle Stadium, which was now currently unoccupied since all the battles for today were finished.

As all of them entered the suite, the Pokemon trainers and coordinators let out their Pokemon from their Pokeballs to have fresh air. Since Prof. Oak brought all of Ash's Pokemon, so Ash can have a variety against different trainers, Prof. Oak also let out Ash's other Pokemon to enjoy the view. But of course, he didn't let out the Tauros. After all, they might cause some trouble.

All of the water-type Pokemon occupied the very large pool. All except Psyduck, who still can't swim. Misty saw this and sighed, "Here Psyduck." Misty said as she handed a buoy to Psyduck. Psyduck smiled and got into pool, holding the buoy.

The other Pokemon were enjoying the grassy field, but some also preferred to be left alone. Such as Sceptile, who just went up the thee and lied at a thick branch. And oddly enough, Croagunk. The trainers still don't know why Croagunk has this abnormal behavior but they decided to just leave Croagunk alone.

And there were also Pokemon that still have slight rivalries against each other. Such as Dawn's Piplup and Kenny's Prinplup. Surprisingly, Ash's Charizard also likes to have a piece of Prof. Oak's Dragonite. Even Swellow and Staraptor were glancing menacingly at each other. Fortunately for the trainers, Bulbasaur and Turtwig were their to keep things in peace.

Back in the kitchen, Delia started making lunch for the gang, with Brock and Tracey as her assistants. "Hm." Delia said as she went to the living room to announce something, "Since we are too many, and only me, Brock, and Tracey, are cooking, lunch might take some time okay, approximately 1 hour. But, the three legendary cooks will promise to make the food as delicious as possible." Delia announced as she started cooking while humming a strange tune.

Everybody sweatdropped at the legendary part but they said nothing of it. Misty also decided to announce something, "Girls, how about swimming?"

"Swimming?" May asked. "Alright, I'm in."

May was then followed by "Me too." "Count me in." and such. In the end, all of the girls decided to swim, except Delia who was assigned to the kitchen.

Misty, Daisy, Lucy, May, Dawn, and Jessie then hopped into the pool. They had fun in the pool such as racing, racing with Pokemon, and others.

While they were swimming, the boys decided to have matches against each other. They battled for two reasons, one is to help Ash train, two is because they haven't battled in a long time. But Prof. Oak decided to spend his time observing Croagunk's peculiar behavior.

After about 1 hour, the food was already set. The girls then got dressed, and the boys got ready, and next thing the cooks knew, all the boys were already sitting at the dining table while drooling as they wait for their meal.

But after of course serving their meal, Brock called the Pokemon and also fed them. With Pikachu just gulping the ketchup Brock gave him.

After all of the food was placed in the table, the boys decided to dig in fast. As if they were racing or something. And perhaps, maybe they were. While the boys got their portion, the girls stared at them with disgust.

"Why don't you guys slow down?" May asked. "There's plenty so don't worry. We won't run out of food you know."

The boys didn't hear her though, or maybe ignored her, as they were still eating like there was no tomorrow. While the girls already got their portion, they were just eating normally and calmly. And even after 5 minutes, the boys were still eating fast.

After another 10 minutes, Ash was the first one to finish, "Oh yeah. Ok guys, look at my plate, it's clean okay. That's the proof. Yes, I won!"

The other guys noticed this and they slowed down on eating, "Dang it." Drew grumbled.

"Oh man, I thought for sure I would win." Kenny said as he rubbed his stomach.

"Losing to a loser. Of all the bad luck." Gary said as he sighed.

"And I thought I was a fast eater." James said as he also sighed along with Gary.

"Not bad for a man my age." Prof. Oak said as he smiled, "I almost caught up with Ash."

"Back at home I was the fastest eater," Max mentioned, "And up to now, I still lose to Ash."

"When I cooked the food, I thought for sure I'll win." Brock complained in which Tracey agreed to.

"What are you talking about?" All of the girls asked.

"Well I thought for sure I'll win. Now I lost the bet once again." All the guys whimpered at the same time.

"What bet?" Delia asked.

"The losers treat the winner to a whole pizza." Prof. Oak said.

"Well what's wrong with that?" Misty asked, "You guys can share right. One pizza doesn't cost that much if you guys share your money.

"Well," Brock started, "Actually, we will treat Ash to a family-sized pizza."

"Then add more money. It's no big deal." May said as she shrugged.

"Well I'm glad you take it that way," Drew said. "But unfortunately for us, we will treat Ash to a family-sized pizza, EACH."

"What?" All the girls asked. "You mean..."

"Yup. We meant what we said." Tracey said, "7 of us lost. That means Ash will get 7 WHOLE FAMILY-SIZED PIZZAS courtesy of us."

"Ash? I know you can eat much, but 7 family-sized pizzas?" Delia wondered.

"We'll just see later mom. Hmm let's see. For starters there's peperroni, and of course cheese, and then extravagant, and seafood, then vegetables, then extreme, and the last is mixed. Whoo boy, I can't wait." Ash sai as he counted the pizzas he was going to order.

At that comment, all of the boys glared dangerously at Ash, even Prof. Oak did. Ash then noticed the weird atmosphere, sort of like a murderous intention, "Ahehe. Ok guys. I get the message. Just don't forget the pizzas."

After eating, Gary gave some money to Ash, "What's this for?" Ash asked.

"The pizza remember." Gary said.

The other boys noticed this and wondered why Gary would give his money instead of joining Ash. In which Gary replied, "Well I don't wanna see Ash eating those free pizzas in front of my face."

The boys then decided to follow Gary's advice and just gave Ash some money for his pizza.

Ash then said something, "Thanks guys. I appreciate the FREE pizzas." Ash said loudly as he emphasized the 'FREE' part.

The others once again glared at Ash. "Just kidding." Ash said.

After about ten minutes, Ash exited the building and went tothe pool. There he saw Misty sitting next to the pool cuddling her sleeping Azurill.

"Hey Misty." Ash said as he sat beside her. "Where're the others?"

"I think the girls went to the mall to buy some stuffs." Misty replied. "And the guys?"

"I don't know. Probably enjoying the view here in the Indigo League. But Prof. Oak is currently checking my Pokemon and mom is cleaning the kitchen." Ash replied.

"I see. So are you ready for tomorrow?" Misty asked.

"Well yeah. Still nervous though." Ash replied. "I don't even know what I must do tomorrow.

Misty then closed her eyes and held her head high, "Well you know? Just go out there like always and battle your hardest." She said while her eyes were still closed.

Ash then looked at Misty while she still has her eyes closed. Ash noticed that there weren't many changes about Misty. In fact, she still wears her hair in an unusual manner. But something inside of Ash tells him that Misty was more beautiful than ever.

Misty then opened her eyes and noticed that Ash was staring at her. At this, Misty blushed. "Er what's wrong?"

"Huh?" Ash asked while he tried to hide the burning feeling in his cheeks, "Oh nothing. Anyway, how about we get some ice cream?"

"Ice cream?" Misty asked, "Sure. Your treat." Misty expected that Ash would throw a tantrum, _'Well he never did like treating other people in terms of food.'_ She thought.

"Sure." Ash said as Misty stared at him shocked. "C'mon. Hey Pikachu." Ash said as he stood up and called for his Pokemon friend. Pikachu came out of the tree and hopped towards Ash shoulders. "Pikachu, we'll eat some ice cream. Wanna come?" Ash asked in which Pikachu raised his hand and agreed.

'_Well well,'_ Misty thought, _'He seems to be getting more mature by the moment.'_

"Hey Misty." Ash called, "C'mon. We're going."

Misty realized that she had just been staring at Ash the whole time so she got up and went to Ash's side, "You know what? You should wait for a lady to get up rather than storming off on your own. You'll never find a girlfriend if you continue to act that way." Misty said. But in truth, Ash's foolish antics are what makes him so cute and adorable, for Misty that is.

"Huh?" Ash said as he stared at Misty with his dumb and clueless look on his face.

"Never mind." Misty sighed. _'As dense as ever.'_ She thought.

Their little trip towards the ice cream parlor didn't last for long. Luckily for Ash, they were the only customers so he quickly went towards the counter.

"Hello sir." Said the man who was in the cashier section, "How may I help you?"

"Hm." Ash thought for a second, "I'll have a double-chocolate and please give my Pikachu a single scoop vanilla ice cream." Ash said as he ordered for himself and Pikachu, "Hey Misty, what do you want?" Ash asked to his best friend who was currently standing beside him.

"Ash calm down. Um sir, I think I'll just have single scoop strawberry." Misty said to the man. "Well Ash, I'll just sit there by the window okay?" Misty said as she headed towards an empty seat by the window.

"Sure." Ash replied as he waited patiently for his ice cream. "Hey Pikachu, why don't you go to Misty first? I'll just wait for the ice cream and I'll go there too." Ash said to which Pikachu gladly agreed and went towards Misty.

"A date, eh?" Said the man who was smiling slyly.

"Date?" Ash asked. "Oh no, I just wanted to treat her to an ice cream. Since our other friends went for a shopping spree, I thought it'll be better if we go out too rather than staying in the suite doing nothing." Ash replied not really knowing what a 'Date' is.

"Oh I see." Replied the man. "Well don't worry kiddo, I'll give the girl a double scoop strawberry ice cream, on the house."

"Huh?" Ash asked again, "But she said she only wanted a single scoop."

"Well you can say I'm helping to boost your relationship." The man replied while smiling. Ash, since he didn't know what to do, just agreed to the man's request.

After some time, the man handed the ice creams to Ash.

Ash managed to find Misty and went to sit with her. They were on opposite sides so they were facing each other. "Here's your ice cream Pikachu. Now don't spill anything, got that?" Ash said.

"Hey Misty. Here's your ice cream. The man insisted that you have a double scoop strawberry but I don't know why. And don't worry, he said it's on the house." Ash said as he handed down the strawberry ice cream to Misty.

Misty smiled as she got the ice cream, "Hey Ash. I was wondering, how come you treated me to an ice cream?"

Ash looked at her and smiled, "Well I guess friends treat each other once in a while."

Misty didn't seem to buy his answer, "I know Ash. But the reason, the reason why you treated me."

Ash thought for a moment, "Hm. Actually, I don't know. But the ice cream sure is tasty huh? We should reccommend this place to our friends."

Misty sighed once again, _'And here I thought Ash was getting mature.'_ She thought.

As they were still eating, unknown to them, Max also entered the same ice cream parlor. He ordered a chocolate chip and while he was on the verge of exiting the ice cream parlor, he saw Ash and Misty. _'Isn't that Ash and Misty?' _Max wondered to himself. And to answer his question, he went towards them and saw that it was indeed Ash and Misty. "Oh hey guys." Max said.

"Hey Max." Both trainers replied. "What are you doing here?" Ash asked.

"Well you can say I'm taking a break from May's shopping spree." Max said as he sat beside Ash. "She already bought so many items, from clothes to Poketch applications. That's why I decided to leave. It was getting boring already."

At this Misty and Ash laughed, "Well Max," Misty started. "Who's helping May now?"

"I think," Max said as he went into a state of thinking, "I think Drew is carrying all of her things. But I also pity Drew, he even called out his Flygon to help him carry May's shopping items."

Both trainers imagined the scene and laughed once again, "Well, May is really the shopping type of girl." Max said.

Max also decided to ask a question, "How about you guys? What are you two doing here?"

Ash replied with a foolish answer, "Eating ice cream." At his reply, Max, Misty, and Pikachu fell anime style.

"I know that." Max said as he adjusted his spectacles, "What I meant was why are you guys eating ice cream all alone."

"The others left us at the suite," Ash said as he continued in eating his ice cream, "So I decided that we should also have fun."

Max adjusted his spectacles once again and smiled wickedly, "Hoo. It seems you're getting quite mature huh Ash. I guess hanging around with you two isn't the best idea for now. I bid thee farewell, may you enjoy the moments you spend with each other." Max said as he exited the ice cream parlor and went looking for May.

At what Max said, both Ash and Misty blushed but they tried to hide it away from each other. It looks like Ash understood the _'May you enjoy the moments you spend with each other'_ that Max said rather than the 'Date' that the ice cream man mentioned.

"Um Misty, want to come with me to the pizza parlor? I'll order pizzas for our dinner so mom wouldn't cook anymore." Ash said as his blush was gradually disappearing.

"Sure." Misty replied as she is still trying to control the reddening of her cheeks.

"Okay then. Let's go." Ash said as he stood up and grabbed Misty's hand. "Wha?!" Misty said in shock. "C'mon Misty, the sooner we get to the pizza parlor the sooner we can eat." Ash said as Pikachu leaped towards his shoulder.

"Okay okay." Misty said. "Just calm down will ya?"

Ash realized what he had done, "Ahehe. Sorry bout that. I just got carried away over the thought of pizzas."

"O--kay." Misty said as she stared at Ash.

"Thanks mister." Ash said as he waved towards the ice cream man. in which he returned the wave. After that, Ash and Misty exited the ice cream parlor. "Wow," Ash said as he looked at his watch, "I didn't realize that it was already 6:30. Better head towards the pizza parlor fast."

Since they were already in the section where most fast food restaurants hang out, they quickly reached the pizza parlor. Ash quickly went towards the counter and started ordering, "Hm. Sir we'll have 2 peperroni, cheese, seafood, vegetable, extreme, extragant, and mixed." Ash said as he ordered 8 pizzas. 8 because he decided to give his share. And for the other 7, he used of course the money he won on the bet.

The man in the counter stared at Ash for a moment, "Sir that's 8 pizzas you ordered. Are you sure about this?"

Ash then wondered for a bit, "Oh yeah I forgot something. Make them all family sized okay?"

The man again stared at Ash with shock. Misty noticed the atmosphere so she decided to butt in, "Ahehe don't worry sir. These pizzas aren't only for us, we ordered them for our friends too."

The man, satisfied with the answer, decided to just comply.

Ash also decided to talk, "Yeah mister. The pizzas aren't only for me, they're for my friends too. I'll only eat 4 pizzas and I'll share the others. So don't worry, I won't be overfed."

The man once again stared at Ash. Misty decided to just drag Ash away from the counter by his ear. "Ow ow ow." Ash whimpered. "What was that for?" Ash said.

"You'll just cause confusion over there you know?" Misty said.

"Me cause confusion?" Ash asked dumbly, "But I'm no Pokemon. I know for sure that only Pokemon can use the attack Confusion." Ash said as he misunderstood the confusion part.

"I didn't mean that kind of confusion Ash." Misty replied angrily as Ash was still confused, "Oh forget it. Just get the pizzas and we'll go home."

"Sure." Ash replied as he skipped merrily towards the counter. After a couple of minutes, the pizzas were finished and they went back to the suite. To their surprise, the whole gang was already there.

"Hey guys." Ash greeted.

"Where did you guys go?" Gary asked.

"We bought some pizzas. And don't worry, I bought 8 so you guys can share the 4 ones." Ash replied.

The girls' jaws (Except Misty's) dropped when they heard that Ash was going to eat 4 whole pizzas by himself. But the boys were different, they seemed jealous that Ash keeps 4 while they share the others. But they decided it was okay, since Ash was the one who really one the bet.

After an hour of eating, the gang slept peacefully through the night.

* * *

The next morning...

Knock "Hey Ash? Are you already up? It's breakfast time and I know you don't wanna miss it." Said a beautiful red-headed girl as she knocked on Ash's room. After a minute of knocking, she finally got frustrated since there wasn't any reply from the Pokemon Master. Being very impatient, she opened the door and headed towards Ash's room.

Ash was always a heavy sleeper and now wasn't any different. He's still sleeping soundly as his hair was still messed up. And of course, Pikachu was also sound asleep in Ash's stomach. But the room was different, it was so messy you would think that a storr came in.

_'Geez,'_ Misty thought. _'How could he sleep this way?'_ She thought as she picked up Ash's Pokemon Books on the floor and fixed up his messy table. She even organized Ash's Pokeballs and left it on his desk. After fixing a bit of Ash's room, she decided to see whether Ash was still asleep. She saw that he was fully covered in his blanket and only his face was showed up. And as Misty saw it, he was still asleep.

"Ahhh" Ash yawned as he opened his eyes and stretched his muscles. Misty saw this and smiled knowing that he was at last, awake.

Ash still hasn't noticed noticed Misty so he picked up Pikachu and placed it on the side of his bed so he wouldn't disturb it. Ash then removed the blanket covering his body and got up. Ash then stood up and widened his eyes as he stared at Misty for a moment.

Misty was floating at the same boat, she also widened her eyes and stared at Ash. She felt her cheeks burning as she looked at the boy's messy hair, cute face, adorable smile, broad shoulders, and his six-pack abs. Wait, broad shoulders and six-pack abs? "AHHHHHHH" Misty screamed on the top of her lungs. "Wear a freaking shirt for God's sake." Misty shouted as she covered her face in embarrassment.

"Wha?! Who?! Where?!" Ash said in shock as he realized that Misty saw him shirtless. And since our favorite Pokemon Master is still as dense as ever, "Hey Misty what's wrong? You've seen me shirtless before." Ash said as he got a black shirt from his drawer and wore it.

Misty sensed that Ash was already done changing so she answered his question, "N-Nothing. I w-was just s-s-surprised. Misty stuttered.

"Oh okay." Ash said completely oblivious to Misty's stuttering. "Hey c'mon. It's almost breakfast time." Ash said as he grabbed Misty's hand and almost literally dragged her towards the dining table.

As they were eating, Daisy, who's Misty's elder sister, decided to ask something, "Hey sis. Like, why were you shouting awhile ago?"

"Oh that?" Ash said. "Nothing big. Misty just saw me shi--whmph." Poor Ash. Before he even got to the best part, was stuffed with bread in his mouth courtesy of Misty. Ash quickly removed the bread and shouted, "Hey what's the big idea?"

"Nothing." Misty smiled innocently. "I just thought you were hungry."

"Well you should've stuffed my mouth with Spanish Bread instead of a plain loaf." Ash replied to which the gang sweatdropped.

"Wait!" Ash said as he realized something, "You said you thought I was hungry right?" Ash said as he stared at Misty. "Does that mean you're worried about me?" Ash commented as he was oblivious to the fact that Misty only did it to shut him up.

Nevertheless, it worked because the gang was now snickering. Even Delia was hiding the faintest of smiles.

"What do you mean I'm worried about you?" Misty shouted back. "Who, in their right mind, would worry for you?"

The gang, sensing what was going to happen, finished their food quickly and went to who-knows-where just to avoid the morning routine of Ash and Misty. Some went back to their room, while some decided to have fun playing with their Pokemon outside.

"You mean never in you life you worried about me?" Ash asked seriously.

Misty noticed this and quickly felt guilty. "I was just kidding Ash." Misty said as he tried to comfort her best friend (or so she thought).

Ash then quickly smiled once again, "Got cha. So you do worry about me huh?"

_'Oh oh. Wrong move Ash.'_ Thought the guys who heard their fight.

As ten seconds past, Ash was lying on the floor with a big lump on his head courtesy of Misty's two-ton mallet. "You idiot. You made me guilty only to know that you're playing a prank on me." Misty said as she looked down on Ash with her trusty mallet by her shoulder.

"Well sorry. No need to be so angry you know." Ash said as he got up and rubbed the lump on his head.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't be mad?" Misty asked angrily.

"Well I can't give you a reason. I just wanted to know something." Ash said softly.

Misty, who was now extremely curious about what Ash said, asked something. "And what was it you wanted to know?"

At this, the girls who were in their room upstairs stopped what they were doing and listened carefully to Ash and Misty's conversation. Even the guys who were training outside decided to eavesdrop sneakily. And of course, Delia stopped washing the dishes as she was also curious about her son. And Ash's Pikachu, who was cowering behind him in fear of Misty decided to listen.

"Well at least I know that somewhere in a part of you tells that you worry about me. I don't know how but I know that you still think about me even though we're apart. Don't take it wrong though, I also missed you when we separated ways. Me and Pikachu always talk about you almost every night while I was in Hoenn and Sinnoh, isn't that right Pikachu?" Ash said to which Pikachu replied with a thumbs up "Pi pikachu".

"And when you came in my every League Match, I was very happy seeing you. Knowing about your stubborn self, I was pretty happy that you made some time in watching my battles. Well that's that. You may think I'm an idiot for what I said but it's all true. Well, it seems the main match will start soon. See ya later Misty. C'mon Pikachu let's head upstairs for some strategy creation." Ash said as Pikachu leaped on his shoulder and both headed to their respective rooms trying to meditate.

But Misty was different. After hearing the words Ash said, _'Ash, if only you knew better'_. But deciding that this wasn't the time or place for such trivial matters, she decided to help Delia in washing the dishes. "Um Mrs. Ketchum, you're awfully happy today. Anything good happen?" Misty asked as she stared at Delia who was cheerful and happy

"Huh? Not really. I was just happy that Ash made it into the finals again." Delia said. _'It looks like my little Ashy is growing up.'_

Unknown to them, the girls were celebrating in their room after hearing their conversation. "Finally." May said. "I thought it would take them forever to appreciate each others feelings."

"Their conversation wasn't exactly a confession you know?" Dawn said. "But I do feel happy for them."

"Why can't those twerps tell each other how they feel?" Said a long red headed ex-Team Rocket member known as Jessie.

"Like, I feel so happy for my sister." Daisy squealed as she hugged the nearest pillow.

"Yeah. I just wish they tell their feeling to each other sooner, you know?" Said a female frontier brain whose name is Lucy.

On the other hand, the boys' conversation weren't far off.

"Finally." Brock said as he smiled at his two friends' moment.

"Yeah. It is pretty obvious they like each other. From our point of view that is." Tracey said as he managed to sketch Ash and Misty while they were talking.

"I can't believe my rival is so dense. As a matter of fact, why can't they just tell each other. That way it can save us energy and time trying to get them together." Said a brown haired young Professor named Gary.

"It wouldn't look too good if they got together just because of us, you know. It's better that we just remain as guides for their undying love." Kenny said.

"Yeah whatever." Muttered a green haired guy named Drew.

* * *

After two hours...

"As for our second battler, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. He is here trying to be a Kanto League Champion to battle the Elite Four. Will he succeed? Only one way to find out. The grand finals of the Kanto Pokemon League, begins!" Shouted the commentator.

"Go Venomoth." Shouted Ash's opponent.

"C'mon out, Heracross." Ash shouted as he threw Heracross's Pokeball.

Back in the stands, the gang was already cheering for Ash. Well, sort of.

"Go Ash. You're the pride of Pallet Town. Win this to make Pallet Town happy and proud. You can do it." Delia shouted her words of 'encouragements' to Ash.

"You can do it Ash. Remember, you earned your Boulder Badge from me. And I also taught you many things about Pokemon. Win this not only for me, but for the whole gang." Brock shouted.

"Yeah you can do it, Ash. You won the Orange League so you shouldn't have any problems. Oh, and the Gym Leaders from Orange League called a while ago saying that they're gonna watch your match." Tracey shouted as he started sketching Heracross even from a great distance.

"Win this one Ash. You taught me and Dawn Pokemon skills and it would be a shame to see you lose." May shouted loud enough for Ash to hear.

"Hey don't waste the time you trained with us, okay Ash?" Drew and Kenny shouted in unison.

"You conquered the Battle Frontier Ash. And I'm one of the Frontier Brains so you should be able to win this one easily. Don't humiliate the Battle Frontier Ash." Lucy shouted alongside Brock.

"Hey twerp, the extra training we gave you over these years would be a waste if you don't win so I demand you win this one." Jessie shouted as James tried to calm her down.

"People around the world regard me as your rival Ash. If you lose here, that would only mean that I'm weak. So you musn't dare of losing or else." Gary shouted as he did air jabs as a threat to Ash.

At this, Ash flinched at the gang's 'words of encouragement'. "You should cheer me on not put more pressure." Ash shouted angrily.

"Hey Ash. Battle your hardest okay?" Misty said.

Ash froze at Misty's comment, but soon enough smiled because at least there was one person willing to cheer him on.

"And don't forget to win or else we, your friends, will be utterly humiliated here." Misty added to which Ash fell anime style.

* * *

After another 45 minutes...

"And the winner is...Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. With this, he has the permission to battle the Kanto Elite Four in three months time." Shouted exuberantly by the commentator.

After rounds of cheers were given to Ash, he exited the battlefield with a smile on his face knowing that he was another step closer to being a Pokemon Master. But Ash didn't even waste time hanging around the locker room, he quickly released Charizard and headed towards their suite.

The gang, who was still in the audience section, saw Ash's Charizard flying towards their suite.

"It looks like Ash went ahead." Max said as he adjusted his spectacles.

"He probably wants to avoid the fans and reporters." Prof. Oak said smartly. "Since there's nothing else to do, why don't we head back towards the suite?" Prof. Oak asked to which the gang agreed to.

After Ash arrived at the suite, he quickly let out his other four Pokemon who were still in their Pokeballs. "Hey guys, c'mon out." Ash said as his Kingler, Heracross, Staraptor, Sceptile, Charizard, and Pikachu looked at him. "We won the League, but that doesn't mean we'll stop training okay? We must be in good shape if want to match up with the Elite Four's strength." Ash said which made the Pokemon happy.

Soon enough, the gang arrived and greeted Ash for his victory.

"Yeah yeah whatever. What's the idea of putting more pressure to me a while ago?" Ash asked while he grumbled.

"Oh Ash don't be silly." Delia said. "We were just cheering you on." She said as she pinched Ash's cheek to which the gang snickered too.

"Oh, there's the bus." Brock said as he waved his arms trying to get the attention of the driver.

"Bus? What for?" Ash asked confusingly.

"We know you would rather celebrate at your house rather than this suite right? After all, there's no place like home." Misty said.

"Oh. That explains it." Ash said.

After packing up their necessary equipments, they got on board the bus which straightly headed towards Pallet Town. The trip lasted about 7 hours thanks to the traffic, detour, and stops. So by the time they reached Ash's house, it was already 6:30 PM.

"Okay then. Let's start the celebration." My shouted as she was the party girl of the group.

"I hate to burst your bubble May, but we've just arrived at Ash's house you know. There's still no food. Geez, how do you expect to party without food, you idiot." Drew snarled.

"What did you say?" May shouted.

"Lovers quarrel?" Tracey asked innocently.

At this comment, both Drew and May glared at Tracey dangerously. "Ahehe, sorry." Tracey said as a sweatdrop formed at the back of his head.

"Why must you two lovebirds fight?" Dawn asked. "You're gonna look like Ash and Misty that way."

"Wha?!" Misty said as she was blushing at Dawn's comment. "What do you mean Dawn?"

"Oh I think you know what I mean Misty." Dawn said as she loomed near Misty slyly. "Ain't that right Ash?" Dawn asked as she turned to Ash. "Huh? Where's Ash?" Dawn asked that managed to caught the gang's attention. True to Dawn's words, Ash seemed to have disappeared.

After a minute of searching, "Hey there he is." Max pointed out towards the backyard which is just a couple of feet away from where they stand so they can see Ash clearly.

"Ok Pikachu, this time make your Thunderbolt thinner so it's hard to dodge." Ash said as he was training with Pikachu. "Charizard, try focusing your DragonBreath to make it more powerful."

"Training again?" Brock said.

"Yup." Ash replied as he saw Brock. "I can't afford to waste time knowing that I'm gonna battle the Elite Four."

"Chill out Ash." Tracey said, "You're gonna battle them after 3 months. Enjoy the moment for now."

"Okay. But I'll just supervise my Pokemon." Ash insisted.

"Well he's hopeless." Gary smirked.

"Oh well. Since Drew's right that we have no food, I guess me, Brock, and Tracey will cook." Delia said as she headed towards the kitchen.

"I'm coming with you Mrs. Ketchum. The more the merrier." Dawn said as she also went towards the kitchen.

"The sooner the food is finished, the sooner we can eat. So I'll join you guys too." May said as she got an apron.

"If you guys are going to cook, then I'll join too." Misty said.

"Count me in." Lucy, Jessie, and Daisy said in unison.

As the girls, with Brock and Tracey, were cooking, the guys decided to just watch TV. Except Ash who was still training.

After 1 hour, "Ok guys, time to eat." Brock said as he rang the handy triangle of his to call the attention of the guys.

Ash heard this so he decided to have a little rest, "Ok guys. Let's stop the training for today and enjoy the food Brock cooked." Ash said as his Pokemon scattered at the area trying to have peace in their meal. But Pikachu of course joined Ash. "Here Pikachu." Ash said as he gave a bottle of ketchup to Pikachu.

As the gang sat at the dining table, they were awed by the food that the cooks cooked. Their meal ranged from the tastiest meat to the sweetest desserts. As usual, Ash was the first person to dig in. He got some steaks, vegetable salads, and some sweets.

The gang enjoyed the food. They shared some jokes with each other that managed to lit up the mood.

After eating, the guys decided to have a singing contest on Ash's videoke. And the girls were there to cheer them on or just watch.

They didn't notice Ash left and went to the backyard. He sat by the grass as he viewed the stars and the small pond up ahead.

_'Hm. Where's Ash?'_ Misty asked in her mind. Luckily, she was able to spot Ash through the window and decided to go after him.

As she headed towards Ash, she saw Ash just sitting and staring at the sky. Misty then showed her presence as she sat beside Ash about 2 feet away.

"Hey Ash, why don't you have fun with the guys inside?" Misty asked as she stared at the pond watching the Luvdiscs jump around.

"I just wanna have some peace for a while. After going through those battles, I thought that I should relieve some stress." Ash said as he smiled. "How about you? What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to accompany you. But if you want me to leave it's okay." Misty said.

"Nah. It's nice to have someone to talk to." Ash said as he laid down at the grass with his hands behind his head.

Misty smiled at this. "So Ash, what're your plans now?"

Ash then looked at Misty, "I guess I'll train so I can win against the Elite Four. I heard the Kanto Elite Four is the toughest Elite Four in the world. I can't wait." While Ash stared at Misty the whole time, he can't help but notice how much Misty had changed. _'She is still as beautiful as ever. Perhaps, even more beautiful.'_ Ash thought with a smile.

_'Still same ol' Ash.'_ Misty thought.

"Hey Misty, can I ask you something?" Ash said.

"Sure." Misty replied.

"But this question is really hard, even my mom just smiled when she heard my question. I also asked Brock and he just snickered and said, 'You'll know someday.' So don't worry if you can't answer it." Ash said.

_'Hm? Just what type of question does he have in mind?'_ Misty thought.

"Have you ever felt weird before? You know, missing a person when they're away, then feeling very happy you see them. Coz you know, I'm feeling this way about you." Ash said to which Misty froze. "When you left me I felt very lonely, but the time you came to see me, I was happy. Weird huh? That only one person can cause you loneliness and happiness. So have you felt this way too?"

Misty now can't almost speak. And Ash, seeing that Misty can't seem to answer, spoke up. "Hey sorry for asking. I just asked you since you're my closest friend so I thought you knew. But it's okay, really." After that, Ash just closed his eyes and went to deep sleep.

_'Oh Ash. Why can't I just tell you? But if I tell you, I might get hurt too.'_ Misty was lost in thought but she noticed that Ash was sleeping. She got up from her place and sat near Ash. She got Ash's head and placed him on her lap. She began to talk as she was combing Ash's hair with her hand, "Ash, if only you knew." Misty said as she continued to comb Ash's hair.

"If only I knew what?" Ash said as he opened his eyes which shocked Misty.

"Wha? I thought y-you were a-asleep." Misty stuttered.

"Nah. I was trying too but I can't. So why did you stop combing my hair, it felt great. And what was the thing that if only I knew?" Ash asked innocently.

_'Okay. This is it.'_ Misty thought. She then started to comb Ash's hair again, "Ash, you asked me a while ago if I felt the same thing you felt right?"

"Uhuh." Ash replied as he closed his eyes.

"The truth is, yes. I felt the same way you did. And even though it feels ironic, that is exactly the same thing I felt...to you." Misty said.

At this, Ash managed to give off a genuine smile which made Misty blushed in shyness. "So you felt the same thing I did huh? So is this what people call love?"

Misty froze for a second, "I guess it is."

"I asked Brock what love was before. But he only said that it is a complicated matter that either makes you very happy or very sad, depending on the situation. And the way I feel when I'm with you Mist, I feel very happy. It's like the happiness can just fill me forever." Ash said. "And if love really means that way, I guess I can truly say that I love you. How bout you. do you love me, Mist?

"Ash, I love you more than you know." Misty said as tears of happiness flowed from her two beautiful eyes. Ash then sat straight up and pulled Misty into a hug.

And as if some kind force was drawing the both of them together, both of them leaned onto each other as their lips met. Each savoring the other. A kiss that showed how much they've loved each other. A moment which both wished that could last forever.

As they separated, Ash hugged Misty with one arm and Misty leaned on Ash's shoulder in return. Then both just stared at the sky, admiring the view with each other's comfort.

* * *

So how was it? Cool? Cheesy? Romantic? Corny?

Review please. And hey please help me decide, should I do another Pokeshipping Fic? or do a Contestshipping next?


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